Jun 30 Cocoa Cannoli Cake

Wow! Thank you all for the well wishes and support on my 2nd blog birthday! I've enjoyed reading all of your comments and have been reminded once again why I enjoy blogging. Heart = Full. Thank you!

As promised, I am sharing the recipe for the delicious cake inside the pretty buttercream exterior. Cocoa Cannoli Cake with mini chips.

What happens when you have a Costco-sized tub of ricotta that is nearing its expiration date? Throw it in everything you can! I absolutely love putting ricotta on toasted bread to make sweet and savoury crostini. My favourite is to top it with a drizzle of honey, a pinch of salt, and some fruit. Grilled or broiled fruit it the best! From pears and plums to roasted apricots and even grapes - your topping options are endless. And for a heartier, more savoury option - there is always prosciutto. Yum!! Well, in a small effort to be a bit healthier, I stopped buying my weekly baguette (yes, I still eat cake and sweets, so how can I really expect to be "healthier" you ask? It's all about finding balance somewhere hehe). Without my beloved bread to top my ricotta with, I needed to find alternative uses for the stuff.

To me, ricotta doesn't taste too cheesy. It does have some tang to it, but hardly any more than buttermilk or sour cream - both usual suspects in my cake recipes. I figured, why not swap in some ricotta as the dairy for a new cake? And, success! The ricotta created an extremely moist and tender crumb, but still sturdy enough to suspend handfuls of mini chips. I decided to turn this ricotta cake into a cannoli cake by adding in some mini chocolate chips and pairing it with a super creamy filling. I added a bit of cocoa powder to a luscious mascarpone-cream cheese filling to slather between layers of ricotta chip cake. The cocoa cuts some of the sweetness but keeps the slight tang that makes cream cheese frosting soooo good. I'm telling you, this might be the very best tasting cake I have made yet!

I am not usually one to shy away from trying out new pastries, accepting most recipes as a challenge. However, I really don't see myself making homemade cannoli any time soon (I'm not great when it comes to frying things), so I am glad my tastebuds and belly can be satisfied with this cake version. Perhaps one day I will tackle the Italian treat! But for now, this cake: